Sunday Worship - Second Sunday after Christmas
Welcome to our Worship on the second Sunday after Christmas. Our own Revd David Halford is preaching and presiding this morning. Even though we are now under Tier 4 restrictions, we are still allowed to worship in church, but please do not feel obliged to attend. If you can't be with us in person, you'll find everything you need to worship from home here on this page.
Our first hymn today is "Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning"
The Gospel -
Luke 2: 41-52
The parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem every year for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour.
Reflection -
As has often been mentioned, indeed recently by some of our visiting clergy, we are very fortunate to have such magnificent windows at St. Thomas created by Jean-Baptiste Capronnier. One of my favourites is reproduced in this letter and depicts todays Gospel reading – Jesus visits the Temple.
You will have probably read and heard this story many times and it is the only description of our Lord’s life as a boy. As Jew it would have been an important year for Jesus as he approached His Bar Mitzvah with officially makes a Jewish boy a “Son of the Covenant” A time when a boy passes into adolescence and starts to think more like an adult.
Setting aside the trauma and worry that was caused to Mary and Joseph, Luke includes this episode as it marks a significant point in Jesus’ life where he moves towards his heavenly Father and starts to move away from his earthly parents. When Jesus stays behind in the Temple he is not being a naughty boy and disobeying his parents, rather he is maturing and taking the next steps in his destined journey. If you study the picture you will see Jesus as a very young boy, but even at this age he was already awake to what his purpose was and what his Heavenly Father had sent him to do.
As a young boy, separated from his parents in a strange city, he could have decided to have his own adventure and do anything he wanted. On the other hand, he could have become a terrified vulnerable little child in the big world at the mercy of thieves and villains.
But Jesus was where he knew he was meant to be. So much so that when his parents finally find him his response is almost one of incredulity... “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
Jesus was obeying his Spiritual Father; He is going about the Father’s business in his Father’s House. He is where he knows he belongs. This not about Jesus turning his back on his human parents, but it is nevertheless a turning point and a time for him to re-prioritise and follow God. A time to focus on things other than just the worldly aspects of life. It is what he would call upon his disciples to do at Galilee when he said; ‘‘Follow me’’ and likewise they trusted him and left their fishing nets and lifestyles to become his first disciples.
Jesus also invites us to follow the same direction, to follow him as disciples and obey the Father. That doesn’t necessarily mean to leave home and pack in our jobs, but he does ask us to examine our priorities. How are we as individuals going about The Father’s Business every day in our lives? He asks us to examine our own beliefs and values and challenge our personal identity. Not to worry endlessly about our position in the community or about what regrets we may have. He asks us to trust that God is with us and will show us mercy and forgiveness, he asks us to relate to those around us and not be judgemental. He asks us as disciples to go about the Father’s business and tell of the good news of his kingdom and coming again, and promises to set a place for us.
Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Our Prayers -
Father Almighty, by your grace and the faith communities in which we live and move and have our being,
may we never stop learning and asking questions.
May we never stop pushing the boundaries of God’s limitless love.
May we keep our minds and hearts open to what God would have us do in this time and place as people who are reformed and always reforming…
and may we each continue to grow in wisdom and in years.
